Shredding apparatus



N. E. HESS ETAL SHREDDING APPARATUS ffl/l Jan. 18, 1966 Filed ocr. 17, 1962 INVENTORS NORMAN E. Hass ATTORNEYS JACK W. A OUS BY R N FIG. l

Jan. 18, 1966 N. E. HEss ETAL SHREDDING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed OCT.. 17, 1962 FIG. 2

INVENTORJ:` 29 NORMAN E Hass `JACK w. RANous FIG. 4 BY FIG. 3

ATTORNEYS Jan. 18, 1966 N. EHESS ETAL 3,229,921

SHREDDING APPARATUS Filed 001;. 17, 1962 4 sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 5

INVENTORS NORMAN E. HESS S BY JACK W RANOU www@ ATTORNEYS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 N. E. HESS ETAL SHREDDING APPARATUS FIG.

Jan. 18, 1966 Filed Oct. 17, 1962 INVENTOR. NORMAN E. Hass JACK w. RANous BY @bw/W //z ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,229,921 SHREDDING APPARATUS Norman E. Hess and Jack W. Ranous, Saginaw, Mich.,

assignors to Mitts & Merrill, Saginaw, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Oct. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 231,181 30 Claims. (Cl. 241-190) This invention relates to shredding apparatus and more particularly to certain novel and useful improvements in apparatus for shredding corrugated and atboard cardboard and paperboard cartons and sheets preparatory to baling the fragments.

Many businesses, including industrial plants of al1 kinds, are confronted with the problem of disposing of large quantities of cartons or boxes and the sheets which are sometimes used therein, after they have been emptied. Such empty boxes, if stored, not only pose a re hazard, but occupy a great deal of oor space and are ditiicult to arrange in orderly stacks. Moreover, disposal of such empty boxes by the usual trash removal services is an expensive undertaking inasmuch as the available space on a refuse truck quickly is taken up by such boxes unless the latter are broken down prior to packing on the truck. However, the breaking down of such boxes and cartons also is expensive since it is a laborious and time consuming task.

On the other hand, the empty cartons and sheets have a salvage value since paper mills can make use of them in scrap form in the manufacture of new boxes. Fibreboard processors commonly purchase commercial size bales of paperboard or cardboard scraps which can be introduced into the beaters for the manufacture of new products.

One object of this invention is to provide highly versatile and reliable apparatus for shredding paperboard and cardboard cartons of greatly varying size into baleable size fragments of the kind desired for the manufacture of new products.

Another object of the invention is to provide shredding apparatus of the character mentioned which functions to tear, rather than shear or cut, a carton into fragments in several stages so as to condition the scraps properly for soaking in the acid solution which is used to reduce them to pulp.

A further object of the invention is to provide shredding apparatus of the kind described which is so constructed as to be substantially self-cleaning in the sense that it avoids or minimizes the tendency of carton or sheet portions to become trapped within the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cartontearing member of improved construction which facilitates shredding of a box or carton into fragments that are desirable for use in making new products.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carton or box shredding mechanism having a plurality of individual shredding members which are individually replaceable in the event of damage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shredder of the character described which is so constructed that the shredder arm assembly is readily removable from the shredder housing.

A still further object of the invention is to provide shredding apparatus of durable character which is relatively economical to manufacture and maintain in operation and also provides improved safety of operation for personnel working around it.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out specifically or will become apparent from the following description when it is considered in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which:

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FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of shredding apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention, the section being taken on the line 1 1 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view of the apparatus taken on the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, elevational view of the interior face of the upper portion of the housing taken on the line 3 3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, transverse, sectional View of a shredder arm taken on the line 4 4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary top plan view thereof;

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 7 7 of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of FIGURE 6.

Apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention comprises a shredder housing generally designated 1, supported on a suitable base structure 1a and having a lower front wall portion 2, a lower rear Wall portion 3, and lower side wall portions 4 joined one to another to form the lower portion of a reducing chamber 5. The upper end of the housing 1 includes a rear Wall portion 3a and side wall portions 4a forming the upper part of the reducing chamber 5 which is open at its upper end to provide an inlet opening 6. Bolts 6a may be used to secure the front Wall portions 3 and 3a and side wall portions 4 and 4a. At the bottom of the housing is a bottom wall 7 having an upwardly and forwardly inclined portion 8. The bottom wall 7 terminates at an outlet opening 9 formed at the bottom of the rear wall portion 3. The bottom wall 7 preferably comprises a pair of spaced apart, parallel members 10 and 11, the space between the members being filled With compressed Fiberglas battens or other suitable sound absorbing material 12. The inner member 10 has a large number of small perforations 10a (FIGURE 3) therethrough for the purpose of permitting sound Waves to be absorbed by the insulating material 12 which, for example, may be compressed to 1A its size. It has been determined that W16" diameter holes 10a on staggered 1/2" centers provide a very satisfactory construction. The side walls 4a of the chamber 5 can be, but are not necessarily, constructed similarly to the bottom wall 7 and the structure of the front and rear walls will be described presently.

The shredding arm assembly is indicated generally by the reference character 13 and comprises a rotatable shaft 14 spanning the longitudinal dimension of the chamber 5 and being rotatably journaled in bearing blocks 15 which can be supported by the end Walls 6. The portion of the shaft 14 located within the chamber 5 preferably is provided with an axially extending key- Way in which is received a key 16. Mounted on the shaft 14 is a plurality of identical, integrated shredder elements 17. Each element 17 includes a central hub or sleeve 18 from which extends a pair of oppositely extending tearing arms 19 that are spaced substantially 180 apart. As is best shown in FIGURE 2, each sleeve 18 extends a substantial distance beyond each side of the associated arms 19, and the hubs of adjacent members 17 engage one another, thereby spacing each set of arms longitudinally of the shaft 14. Each of the collars 18 is provided with a keyway to receive the key 16, and the positions of the keyWays of successive collars are circumferentially 'spaced from one another in such manner as to cause the arms 19 of successive shredder elements also to be circumferentially spaced around the shaft so as to assume a spiraling conguration.

The circumferential spacing between successive shredder elements 17 will depend upon the number of arms 19 and on the number of spiraling convolutions desired. In the disclosed embodiment there are eighteen elements 17 and thirty-six arms 19, but other combinations may be employed. The arrangement of the arms 19 is such that they define three complete convolutions around the shaft 14. Thus, for each set of six shredder elements the twelve arms are angularly spaced 30 from one another so as to define a complete convolution. In practice it is preferred that the number and arrangement of the arms be such that no more than two or three arms will be in tearing engagement with a box or carton at one time, since it has been found that only a few arms need to engage the `carton at any one time to enable it to be shredded satisfactorily while minimizing the power required to drive the shredding mechanism.

Means for driving the shredding mechanism comprises an electric motor 20 having its armature shaft 21 keyed or otherwise fixed to a driving pulley 22 around which is trained one or more driving belts 23. The belts 23 also are trained around a pulley 24 that is fixed to the driving shaft 2S of a conventional torque clutch 26 such as the one available from The Falk Corporation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which is capable of driving the shaft 14. A conventional belt tensioning device 27 comprising a motor mount plate 27a pivotally supported by pin 27b on a front wall bracket 27C reacts between the motor 20 and its mounting means tol provide proper tensioning of the belts 23. The threaded posts 27d provide the adjustment desired in the device.

In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, the shredding mechanism 13 is driven in such direction as to cause the arms 19 to rotate in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 1. The radially outer tip of each arm 19 is formed with an impaling portion 28 that projects in the direction of rotation of the arm. Each arm 19 also is provided with the generally radially extending under edge 29 that faces in the direction of rotation of the arm and terminates at its opposite ends in curved portions 29a, 2912 extending in the direction of rotation of the arm. The arms 19 are also provided with relieved back surfaces 19C as shown.

Also forming part of the shredding mechanism 13 is a plurality of lower support members or bars 30 having upper serrated surfaces 30a that span the transverse dimension of the chamber and are supported by the front and rear walls thereof. The plate 3a secured on the front wall 3 is provided with pockets x to receive the rear ends of bars 30, and the front ends pass through openings y in the wall 2 as shown and are maintained in position by a strap 2a secured by bolts 2b. Openings x and y are shaped to the bars 30 and relatively snugly receive them. The members 30 are secured to the chamber walls just below the axis of rotation of the shaft 14 and are spaced apart from one another a distance greater than the thickness of the arms 19 so as to avoid contacting the latter. As is indicated in FIGURE l, the forward ends of the members 30 are thicker than the rearward ends inasmuch as the forward ends of the members must bear the force of shredding operations.

Positioned above the support members 30 is a plurality of upper supporting bars 31. The forward end of each member 31 may be bolted or otherwise secured as at 31a to a support member 30 in such position that the forward end of each member 31 terminates substantially midway between the front wall 2 and the shaft 14, the forward part of each supporting bar 31 being curved as at 32 along the arc of a circle having its center at the axis of rotation of the shaft 14. The rear end of each supporting bar 31 may be secured by bolts 31b or the like to a sheet metal member generally designated 33 having a downwardly and forwardly inclined upper wall 34 terminating at its lower end in an arcuate wall 35 that is joined to a rearwardly directed flange 36 fixed to the rear wall portion 3a. It is preferred that there be one member 31 between each pair of members 30, as is shown in FIGURE 2, so that the spacing between the adjacent of the housing 1 is an enclosure 37 having double thickt ness, insulated sidewalls 38 and a similar upper wall 39 that merges with a rear wall 40. The sound insulated walls 38, 39 and 40 are identical with the wall 7. The forward end of the enclosure 37 is open to permit cartons and boxes to be fed through the inlet opening 6 of the housing 1. Preferably, the front wall 2 of the housing 1 is provided with an upstanding plate 41 which forms a safety barrier to protect a workman feeding cartons manually to the shredding apparatus. Extending downwardly and rearwardly from the upper end of the` plate 41 is an inclined baie 32 which forms a hopper-like inlet to the housing 1.

Usually the volume of boxes and cartons to be shredded warrants the use of a mechanical conveyor 43 for delivering cartons to the shredding machine. The conveyor 43 may include a boom 44 at the outerv end of which is mounted a driven roller 45 and around which is trained an endless conveyor belt or the like 46.` The conveyor 43 may be driven by any suitable means (not shown).

In the operation of the apparatus thus far described, cartons introduced to the housing 1 through its inlet opening 6 are impaled by the impaling projections 281 of the arms 19 as the cartons are limited in their downthe walls of a carton, and tend to pull the `portions clockwisely adjacent the openings punched from the remaining portion of the carton being reduced, while at the same time tending to move the carton bodily towards the front wall of the housing. In-essence, members 31 keep the carton radially outward of the hub 18 in the working area of arms 19 which tear strips from it.

Immediately below the hopper member 42 is an antibridging device 47 including a generally horizontal breaker bar 48 that is welded or otherwise suitably fixed to support panels 49 and 50. The panel 49 is downwardly and rearwardly inclined so as to ysupport the bar 48 adjacent the path of rotation of the blades 19, and the panel 50 is arcuately formed on the radius of a circle having its center at the axis of rotation of the shaft 14. In the preferred construction, the panel 49 is provided with a front wall 51 that is hinged as at 52 to bracket 52a on the housing 1 so as to provide an access door that opens to the interior of the housing to permit inspection of the arms 19 and removal of tramp metal andthe like. The panel members 49 and 50 conveniently may be welded to the door panel 51.` Door locking members 53 which thread into openings in a crossbar 53a are provided to lock the door in its closed position.

As a carton is impaled and moved forwardly by an arm 19, it engages the bar 48 and the hopper panel 42` and is prevented from further forward movement. Continued rotation of the arm causes the latter to pull an irregular portion from the remainder of the carton or sheet, which then enters the throat defined by the members 32 and S0v sheared, but instead are torn or shredded. In practice two arms 19 are in engagement With the carton or the like 1 at all times. The one following the one doing the tearing tends to prevent bridging and prevents rebound of the carton and rebound chatter.

Carton fragments passing between the support bars 30 Inasmuch as the arms 19 do not engage are discharged through the outlet opening 9 and are delivered to a chute 54 by the considerable blowing force generated by the rapidly traveling arms 19 (about 900 r.p.m.). Chute 54 may be connected to the suction side of a blower (not shown). Preferably, a hollow sheetmetal barrier member 55 is secured to the rear wall 3 of the housing to provide a guide leading to the outlet opening 9 and to prevent paper fragments from moving back up into the reducing chamber.

The vertically inclined arcuate panel 50 of the device 47 makes it impossible for sheet portions or fragments to remain upright just outward of the periphery of knives 19 and bridge the support bars 30 out of the path of movement of the blades 19. Instead, fragments that ordinarily would bridge the bars in such manner are acted upon by gravity, causing them to be drawn into the path of the rotating arms. Thus, complete fragmentation is assured.

A particularly advantageous characteristic of the invention is that engagement between a carton wall and an arm member 10 always is initiated by the impaling projection 28. As a consequence, fragments are torn from the carton walls andthe edges of such fragments are rough compared to smooth edges caused by shearing. Fragments having rough edges are preferred since less time is required to saturate them when such fragments are used in the making of new paper products. Moreover, the size of the throat between the members 32 and 50 and the presence of the support members 30 providing a two-stage reduction limit the size of fragments that are discharged from the shredding apparatus to a size, i.e., approximately 3 x 4 inch scraps, which is especially adapted for baling and for use in a paper mills paper making process.

The special panels 33, 47 and 55 not only define the reduction chamber to tend to prevent turbulence from blowing the scraps upwardly and out housing portion 37 but cooperate with the special walls 7, 38, 39 and 40 to minimize the noise resulting from operation of the apparatus. These panels, which are air filled bodies which tend to dampen the sound waves released when coupled with the Fiberglas sound insulation walls, substantially blanket the machine, and provide shredding apparatus which is extremely quiet compared to other shredding devices.

To enable removal of the shaft assembly 13 from the machine, members 31 are first disengaged and then upon removal of strap 2a the members 30 can be slid forwardly out of the housing. The upper part of the structure is then removed, including wall portions 3a, 4a, and enclosure 37. The bearings 15 are, or course, easily disassembled to free the shaft.

In FIGURES 5-8 we have shown another embodiment of the invention which permits the cutter shaft assembly to be more readily removed from the housing. When these machines are used continuously, as is usually the case, it is necessary to change the knife arms or blades 19 from time to time and the alternate construction now to be described makes it possible to remove the assembly axially in a relatively short time without dismantling the housing structure. Where possible, the same or similar parts have been identified by the same numbers in the interests of clarity.

In FIGURE 5 the rear wall 3 is shown extending up to join the upper enclosure 37, to which it may be bolted as with the former bolt members 37a, and the side walls 4 similarly extend up to the enclosure 37 and are similarly bolted thereto. Vertical side members 56 are provided at one side of the housing, as shown, secured to the wall 4, and vertically spaced cross bars 57 span the members 56. With this supporting framework the one side wall 4 can then be provided with a removable panel 58 which secures to the vertical members 56 and cross members 57 by means of bolts 59 or the like. While the panel 58 in FIGURE 6 is not shown as an insulated member, constructed in the manner of bottom wall 7, it is to be understood that it may be an insulated member and could be hinged to the side wall 4.

Fixed to the rear wall 3 is an interior panel generally designated 60 which replaces the former members 33 and 55. The member 60 has transversely spaced pipe sections 61 to removably receive the rear ends of supporting members 31 in a manner which will be described, the front ends of the members 31 being secured to the bars 36 by bolts 31a, as previously. The bars 30 are received at their rear ends in a continuous pocket 62 formed in the panel member 66 and extending from end to end of the housing. Except for the one end bar 30, each of the bars 30 is provided with an integral spacer leg 63 of a length to abut the adjacent bar. For instance, in FIGURE 6 the end bar is shown at e, the next adjacent bar at f, and the spacer attached to bar f at g.

At the front end of the structure the front wall 2 supports an angle member 64 which extends transversely the width of the housing and forms a shelf supporting the *ear ends of the bars 30. Also, a pair of oppositely disposed, angle hold down members 65 which together span the width of the housing are simply placed in .position over the bars 30, the angle members 65 having spaced apart, dependent spacer portions 66 welded to them as shown and securely bracing the bars 30 at their front ends and maintaining them in position. Instead of a single door, double doors 67 and 68 are hingedly mounted on the front wall 2. The doors are of the same construction as the door previously described and each includes an end hinge member 69 and a second hinge member 76, the end hinge member 69 having an opening 69a to receive a hinge pin 71 carried by a hinge member 72 on the front wall 2, and the other hinge member having an opening 73 to receive a pin 74 carried by a hinge member 74a fixed centrally to the front wall 2, as shown in FIGURE 6. For purposes of safety, the door 68 has a portion 68a which overlies the door 67 when the doors are in closed position and it will be noted that threaded members 53 are provided, as previously, extending into threaded openings in a bar 75 supported by wall 2 to hold the doors 67 and 68 in closed position. At the transverse center of the housing, clearly a member 53 is needed only for the door 68, inasmuch as it laps door 67.

The lower portion of doors 67 and 68 include dependent flange portions 76 which, when the doors 67 and 68 are in closed position, bear on the angle members 65 and prevent them from lifting. In View of the weight of the members 65, it is more practical to provide two members 65, rather than a continuous member, and to provide a double door structure for the same reason.

To remove the shaft assembly 13, the operator first removes panel 58 and then unlocks and swings doors 68 and 67 downwardly in that order. In so doing he frees angle members 65, which can simply be lifted out the doors. The front ends of members 31 are next released by removing bolts 31a and they can then be pulled from the pockets formed by pipes 61. The bars 30 are then pulled rearwardly to clear the upper wall of pocket 62 and the endmost bar e is removed by pulling it out under the shaft 18 and out door 67. Thence the bars 3) are lifted free in the same manner, there being room to swing their front ends laterally because they are free of spacers 66 and to pivot them 90 so that the spacers 63 extend vertically and removal is possible.

Once bars 30 and members 31 are removed, the shaft bearings 15 can be disassembled and the shaft moved endwise out the panel 5S opening, the shaft being rotated as it proceeds endwise, so that the shredder arm 19 in each instance clears the lower edge of the panel opening. At the end of the shaft the collar 76 is readily removable and the arms 19 can then be moved endwise off the shaft and replaced as desired.

To reassemble the shaft assembly 13 in position, the shaft assembly 13 is, of course, moved endwise back into the casing in the same manner, rotating the shaft slowly '7 in the process so that the knife arms clear theY lower edge of the panel opening. The members 30 are then returned to position and the hold-down members 65 replaced. The rear ends of members 31 are then placed in the pipe sections 61 and the front end portions thereof sprung rearwardly until the openings 77 therein line up with the threaded openings 7S in the bars 30. It may be necessary to spring the front ends of members 31 forwardly a 'quarter or half an inch, and in so doing the members 31 are stressed so that their rear ends tightly engage in the pipe sections 61. Finally, the doors 67 and 68 are swung closed and locked and the panel 58 is remounted.

The disclosed embodiments are representative of presently preferred forms of the invention, but are intended to be illustrative rather than definitive. The invention is defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Shredding apparatus comprising a housing defining a shredding chamber having length and width dimensions and inlet and outlet openings in opposite ends; a plurality of rst, elongated, spaced apart, transversely extending support members mounted in said chamber between said openings; rotatable driving means mounted in said chamber; a plurality of second elongated, spaced apart, transversely extending, fixed support members below said first members and coextensive therewith; a plurality of radially projecting cardboard shredder members mounted on said driving means and being spaced apart from one another a distance to permit each shredder member to pass between adjacent support members; and means for rotating said driving means, said first and second support members extending on opposite sides of said rotatable driving means but both being at least partly disposed within the arc of travel of said shredder members and providing multiple shredding stages.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the radially outer end of each of said shredder members is formed with an impaling projection extending in the direction of rotation of said driving means.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first plurality of spaced apart supporting members extend at least from substantially the driving means area outwardly but terminate in downwardly directed portions extending in the direction of rotation of the shredder members short of the opposite side of the housing and are provided only above every other of said second plurality of -members 4. The combination defined in claim 1 in which the upper surfaces of said second support members are toothed.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said shredder members are circumferentially offset with respect to one another so as to spiral about said driving means and are so offset that two members are in engagement at all times with a carton being shredded.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein the amount of offset between each shredder member is such that said shredder members form at least two complete spiraling convolutions about said driving means.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein each of said shredder members has a substantially radially linear crowned edge between its radially outer end and said driving member and facing in the direction of rotation of the latter, said radially linear edge terminating at its radially outer end in a curved portion extending in the direction of rotation of said driving member.

8. `Shredder apparatus comprising a housing having front, rear, and side walls defining a shredding chamber having inlet and outlet openings at opposite ends; a plurality of spaced apart support members mounted in said chamber between said openings and spanning the distance between said front and rear walls; a rotatable driving member rotatably mounted in said side walls and spanning the distance therebetween; a plurality of shredder members mounted on said driving member and being spaced `8 apart from one another a distance to permit each shredder member to pass between adjacent support members; throat forming means supported adjacent the front wall of said chamber above said support members and presenting a surface inclining relative to a vertical plane upwardly from said support members and toward the rear wall; breaker edge means for said throat forming means above the lower edge thereof; and means for rotating said driving member in a direction toward said throat formingl means.

9. The apparatus set forth in claim 8 wherein said inclined surface of said throat forming means is formed on an arc having its center at the axis of rotation of said driving member.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 including a plu' rality of spaced apart supporting members above and substantially parallel to and partially coextensive with said first mentioned support members, said shredder members extending between the adjacent last mentioned supporting members, said last mentioned supporting members extending from said rear wall toward said front wall but terminating short of the latter.

11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said last mentioned supporting members are curved downwardly at their forward ends on an are having its center. at the axis of rotation of said driving member.

12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein the forward ends of said last mentioned supporting members are releasably secured to said support members.

13. In shredding apparatus; an elongate housing having inlet and outlet openings in opposite ends; a drive shaft means transversely supported in said housing between said openings; radi-ally extending shredder arms on said shaft; hollow insulating panel means having an inner wall surface generally conforming to the path of rotation of said arms to define at least a portion of a reduction chamber in said housing; and insulated panel wall forming a substantial portion of the remainder of said housing.

14. The combination defined in claim 13 in which said housing has front, rear, and side walls; said shaft means spans the side walls; and said insulating panel means comprises front and rear hollow panel means substantially spanning the side walls and having curvilinear inner walls curved on the axis of rotation of said shaft means.

15. The combination defined in claim 13 in which said insulated wall panel comprises an inner wall member and outer wall member separated by sound absorbing ma-` terial; the inner wall having closely spaced perforations substantially covering its surface.`

16. The combination defined in claim 14 in which one of said front and rear panel means is hingedly mounted to also serve as access door means.

17. In shredding apparatus; a housing having generally vertical wall means, defining a shredding chamber, there being inlet and outlet openings in opposite ends; Shaft means spanning the chamber and journaled by the wall means; a plurality of shredder members mounted in axiall ly'spaced relation on said shaft means; a pluralityof axially spaced article support members located generally in alignment with the spaces between said shredder mem` bers and supported by said housing; socket means on said wall means for receiving one end of each. of said members; shelf means on said wall means, below said shaft` 19. The combination defined in claim 17 in which said pocket means is formed in the interior face of a panel curved to the arc of revolution of said shredder members.

20. The combination defined in cl-aim 17 in which said support members comprise bars supported at one end by said pocket means and at the other by shelf means; a holddown member having transversely spaced spacers supporting said other ends of said bars; spacers integral with said bars at the ends received by said pocket means; and releasable means for maintaining said holddown member in position.

21. The combination defined in claim 20 in which said releasable means comprises a hingedly mounted door having a portion engaging the top of said holddown member when the door is swung to closed position.

22. The combination defined in claim 17 in which said support members comprise bar members substantially spanning the chamber, and upwardly curved and thence generally horizontally extending rod members mounted at their lower ends to said bar members at a spaced distance from one end of the bar members; and generally horizontally extending pipe sections mounted by said wall means to receive the upper ends of said rod members; the rod members when received by the said pipe sections being sprung to a state of deflection to securely hold the generally horizontally extending ends snugly in place.

23. Shredding apparatus comprising: housing means having vertically spaced apart inlet and outlet openings near the top and bottom of said housing means, respectively; generally horizontally disposed shredder shaft means mounted in said housing means between said openings and including a plurality of axially sp-aced, radially projecting shredder members; said housing means including a generally vertically extending throat wall portion adjacent the rotary path of said shredder members which slopes downwardly outwardly generally parallel to the said path, and the housing means above said throat wall portion being enlarged so that the upper edge of said throat wall portion forms a breaker edge; means for drivlng said shaft means in a direction to move said shredder members toward said breaker edge; and support members 1n said housing means extending between said axially spaced shredder members and vertically located within the rotary path of said shredder members.

2d. Shredding apparatus comprising: housing means having vertically spaced apart inlet and outlet openings n ear the top and bottom of said housing means, respect1vely; generally horizontally disposed shredder shaft means mounted in said housing means between said openings and including a plurality of axially spaced, radially projecting shredder members; said housing means includ- 1ng a generally vertically extending throat wall portion adjacent the rotary path of said shredder members which slopes downwardly outwardly generally parallel to the said path; breaker edge means for said throat wall portion above at least a portion of said throat wall portion; means for driving said shaft means in a direction to move said shredder members toward said breaker edge means; and support members in said housing means extending between said axially spaced shredder members and vertically located within the rotary path of said shredder members.

25. Shredding apparatus comprising: housing means having vertically spaced apart inlet and outlet openings near the top and bottom of said housing means, respectively; shredder shaft means mounted in said housing means between said openings and including a plurality of axially spaced, radially projecting shredder members; said housing means including a generally vertically extending throat wall portion adjacent the rotary path of said shredder members which slopes generally parallel to the said path; means for driving said shaft means in a direction to move said shredder members toward said throat Wall portion; and support bar members in said housing means extending transversely to said shaft means between said axially spaced shredder members below .the shaft means and at generally the level of the lower edge of the throat wall portion within the rotary path of said shredder members.

26. The combination delined in claim 25 in which second support members extend transversely from the Wall of said housing means opposite said throat means between said axially spaced shredder members and at substantially the level of the upper portion of said throat wal-l portion.

27. The combination defined in claim 26 in which said second support members have downwardly curved ends releasably secured to said support bar members at a distance spaced from said throat wall portion.

28. In shredding apparatus: a housing having generally vertical wall means, defining a shredding chamber, there being inlet and outlet openings in opposite ends; shaft means spanning the chamber and journaled by the wall means; a plurality of shredder members mounted in axially spaced relation on said shaft means; a plurality of axially spaced article support members located generally inl alignment with the spaces between said shredder members and supported by said housing, socket means on said wall means for receiving said members; and releasable keeper means bearing on said members for retaining them in position; said support members comprising bars supported at one end by said socket means and at the other by shelf means; a holddown member having transversely spaced spacers supporting said other ends of said bars; spacers integral with said bars at the ends received by said pocket means; and releasable means for maintaining said holddown member in position.

29. In shredding apparatus: a housing having generally vertical wall means, defining a shredding chamber, there being inlet and outlet openings in opposite ends; shaft means spanning the chamber and journaled by the Wall means; a plurality of shredder members mounted in axially spaced relation on said shaft means; a plurality of axially spaced article support members located generally in alignment with the spaces between said shredder members and supported by said housing, socket means on said wall means for receiving said members; and releasable keeper means bearing on said members for retaining them in position; said support members comprising bars supported at one end by said socket means and at the other by shelf means; a holddown member having transversely spaced spacers supporting said other ends of said bars; spacers integral with said bars at the ends received by said pocket means; and releasable means for maintaining said holddown member in position; said releasable means comprising a hingedly mounted door having a portion engaging the top of said holddown member when the door is swung to closed position.

30. In shredding apparatus: a housing having generally vertical wall means, defining a shredding chamber, there being inlet and outlet openings in opposite ends; shaft means spanning the chamber and journaled by the wall means; a plurality of shredder members mounted in axially spaced relation on said shaft means; a plurality of axially spaced article support members located generally in alignment with the spaces between said shredder members and supported by said housing, socket means on said wall means for receiving said members; and releasable keeper means bearing on said members for retaining them in position; said support members comprising bar members substantially spanning the chamber, and upwardly curved and thence generally horizontally extending rod members mounted at their lower ends to said bar members at a spaced distance from one end of the bar members; and generally horizontally extending pipe sections mounted by said wall means to receive the upper ends of said rod members; the rod members when received by .the said pipe sections being sprung to a state 11 12 of deflection to securely hold the generally horizontally 2,904,268 9/ 1959 Chappell et al. 241-190 extending ends snugly in place. 2,965,318 12/ 1960 Jordon 241--285 n 3,098,613 7/1963 Heuyer 241-190 References Cited by the Examiner 3,149,789 9/ 1964 Szegvari 241-27 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 6/1881 Pond 241-27 FOREIGN ATENTS 9/1889 Kimble 24,1 190 29,154 7/1907 Austria. 7/1907 Williams 241 195 315,947 10/1956 Switzerland.

4/1931 Bgtgg 241 190 10 ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner. 1/ 1943 Echardt 181-0.5 LESTER M. SWINGLE, Examiner. 

1. SHREDDING APPARATUS COMPRISING A HOUSING DEFINING A SHREDDING CHAMBER HAVING LENGTH AND WIDTH DIMENSIONS AND INLET AND OUTLET OPENINGS IN OPPOSITE ENDS; A PLURALITY OF FIRST, ELONGATED, SPACED APART, TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING SUPPORT MEMBERS MOUNTED IN SAID CHAMBER BETWEEN SAID OPENINGS; ROTATABLE DRIVING MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID CHAMBER; A PLURALITY OF SECOND ELONGATED, SPACED APART, TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING, FIXED SUPPORT MEMBERS BELOW SAID FIRST MEMBERS AND COEXTENDIVE THEREWITH; A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY PROJECTING CARDBOARD SHREDDER MEMBERS MOUNTED ON SAID DRIVING MEANS AND BEING SPACED APART FORM ONE ANOTHER A DISTANCE TO PERMIT EACH SHREDDER MEMBER TO PASS BETWEEN ADJACENT SUPPORT MEMBERS; AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DRIVING MEANS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND SUPPORT MEMBERS EXTENDING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID ROTATABLE
 13. IN SHREDDING APPARATUS AN ELONGATE HOUSING HAVING INLET AND OUTLET OPENINGS IN OPPOSITE ENDS; A DRIVE SHAFT MEANS TRANSVERSELY SUPPORTED IN SAID HOUSING BETWEEN SAID OPENINGS; RADIALLY EXTENDING SHREDDER ARMS ON SAID SHAFT; HOLLOW INSULATING PANEL MEANS HAVING AN INNER WALL SURFACE GENERALLY CONFORMING TO THE PATH OF ROTATION OF SAID ARMS TO DEFINE AT LEAST A PORTION OF A REDUCTION CHAMBER IN SAID HOUSING; AND INSULATED PANEL WALL FORMING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE REMAINDER OF SAID HOUSING. 